GOVERNMENT: Kazakhstan expands social support of people through social insurance

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - The property legalization campaign continues in Kazakhstan. 85 thousand people have already used an opportunity to legalize their property. Besides, some changes were made in the structure of the Government.

Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Karim Massimov held a sitting of the Government this week. At the sitting, Minister of Finance Bakhyt Sultanov reported on the progress of the property legalization campaign. According to him, as of today, the people of Kazakhstan legalized property for KZT 1.2 trln. Since December 1, 2015, 194 trillion tenge has been legalized under the new conditions of the Law as well, which makes two thirds of the total amount legalized over the entire period of the campaign.

The minister noted that the amendments to the law gave a good impetus for development of the campaign. About 86 thousand people used this opportunity over the course of the campaign.

Chairman of the National Bank Daniyar Akishev, in turn, informed that the banks of Kazakhstan opened 910 accounts during the legalization campaign. He also told that KZT 590.3 billion was put into those accounts. Upon completion of the sitting Karim Massimov gave a number of specific instructions to state bodies.

First Deputy Prime Minister Bakhytzhan Sagintayev met with Chinese politician and current member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China, Communist Party Secretary for Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Zhang Chunxian. The sides discussed the state and prospects of development of bilateral relations between Kazakhstan and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The interlocutors noted strengthening of cultural and trade and economic relations, which is demonstrated by the work of the international center of border cooperation "Khorgos", opening of the "green corridor" for agricultural products of China, increase of the cargo traffic and strengthening of cooperation at the seaport of Lianyungang.

At the end of the week President Nursultan Nazarbayev held a sitting where he announced a number of the planned changes. In particular, due to the significant public outcry caused by the recent amendments to the Land Law, the President ordered to establish a commission on the land reform headed by B. Sagintayev.

The commission jointly with state bodies and some non-governmental organizations will have to discuss this issue once again, analyze it, explain it to the people and submit their proposals for the consideration of the Parliament.

Besides, the President ordered to establish the Ministry of Information and Communications.

The new Ministry will be imposed the following functions:

- monitoring information space irrespective of the form of ownership, including internet-resources and social media, in order to timely reveal and respond to the most acute problems;

- studying public opinion regarding the most relevant issues and topics; analysis and forecast of information requests and expectations of the population;

- development of state information policy;

- coordination and control over information activity and activeness of all governmental structures;

- planning and analysis of the efficiency of public information contract and the funds allocated by the government;

- attraction of investments and innovations for the development of domestic mass media as a modern component of economy;

- improving quality of domestic information products for ensuring information security both in electronic and printed space;

- building an operative model of crisis communications;

- building channels of interaction with the population, including NGOs.

The Head of State ordered also to transfer sectoral functions in regulation of land relations to the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan and open a Call-Centre at the Government for clarifying all changes in legislation to the public. The same consulting centres must be established across the country.

At a meeting of the Board of the Healthcare and Social Development Ministry, Minister Tamara Duissenova stressed necessity of activating people’s involvement in Business Road Map 2020 program. As Head of the Employment Department Balzhan Shamenova reported at the meeting, 100.6 bln tenge have been allocated in 2016 from the budget for implementation of the Program. The number of people who applied for support under the Program made 33 200 on April 1. 25 854 of them are unemployed, i.e. 78.3%. 34 200 people have been employed under the Program in Q1 2016.

The Ministry will also establish working groups which will explain the rules of introduction of compulsory health insurance in the districts and regions Tamara Duissenova said it during a visit to medical and social institutions for the elderly and disabled people of Astana. According to her, the Ministry has already drafted a Road Map on clarification of introduction of mandatory health insurance system in Kazakhstan to the population. The Minister said that explanatory works will be conducted at all levels – in regions, districts and in rural settlements.

Minister of Investment and Development Asset Issekeshev called on the people of the country to buy home-produced goods during the Forum of Kazakhstani Producers held in Astana. The Minister noted that new types of products are produced now in Kazakhstan and their number is increasing every year. Besides, the Minister called on producers to continue to improve the quality of their products. According to A. Issekeshev, there're positive tendencies in the processing industry despite the current economic situation. The number of entrepreneurs has increased up to nine thousand since 2010.